The added bulk on Vinny Curry's frame is discernible. His chest is all swolled. His arms stretch a few inches wider than last year. He looks more solid and put together than his rookie season, when he played at 263 pounds.

Curry currently stands at 280 pounds as he prepares to play defensive end in the Eagles' new 3-4 defense. It's a far cry from the 250 pounds he stood when the Eagles drafted him in the second round out of Marshall last year.

"I can still run like I'm 250 pounds," Curry said. "Honestly you realize you're gaining weight because you look different, but you're getting cut up and putting muscle. I've been training with it all offseason, so it's nothing."

So much has changed since last April. Curry looks more like Trent Cole while Cole and Brandon Graham, who are making the switch to outside linebacker, are trying to look like the old Curry. It's an experiment that may or may not work. That's what the Eagles are still trying to determine. There are doubts about all three in their current roles.

As for Curry, he was drafted for his ability to attack the quarterback off the edge. He's now being asked to play more of a 5-technique, which means he's working more inside and needs to shed off blockers rather than run around them. It doesn't seem to cater to his strengths.

The second-year defensive lineman has taken the change in stride. He just wants to play, which he didn't do much of in his rookie season. Curry was inactive for 10 of the 16 games. He expects much more from himself this season.

"I know how I felt last year being inactive for 10 games," Curry said. "I told myself there would be no excuse, no room for any error. If I'm inactive this year, it's going to be on me."

The fans and the Eagles organization expects much more from Curry as well. I'm pretty sure that's why you voted for me to track him during Friday's OTA workout.

I did my best. I wasn't very successful but here's what I saw from the obstructed view:

10:47 am - The hounds are let loose from the media workroom. Practice has begun. The Eagles are already into Period 1 of Chip Kelly's 21-period practice. Curry is working with the defensive linemen these days. That means defensive ends and tackles. They are working about as far as possible from the sideline where the media is stationed. The media is on the southwest side of the practice facility, the defensive linemen are on the northeast. They might as well be in Northeast Philly right now that's how hard it is to see them.

10:49 am - I spot Curry in his No. 75 jersey. He's working the sleds with the rest of the linemen. Assistant defensive line coach Erik Chinander is watching over them closely as the players are working on getting off blocks. This could be the biggest challenge for Curry in his new role. He looks good so far shedding the imaginary offensive linemen. They don't offer much resistance. I may be able to take those guys.
10:51 am - The bossman makes his way over the defensive linemen group. Chip Kelly talks with Chinander for a few minutes. The opposing dummies seem to be taking harder hits with Kelly in the area. Just my honest observation though. I could be wrong. I am about 80 yards away from them.

11:02 am - I moved along with the rest of the media to the south side of the practice fields. It's an end zone view. This is because the Eagles are running team drills on the far field today, a change from previous OTAs and practices. It will make it hard to break down practice as I'm standing at field level (not in the raised bleachers) and there are close to 90 players on the field unintentionally blocking my view at all times.

11:10 am - They're into team drills. Right now the Eagles are working on special teams; kickoff return and kickoff coverage. Curry is doing both. He's the only defensive linemen on either team. Curry's lined up next to Casey Matthews on both units. It's not hard to see that he is the biggest man on the field at this time. It says a lot about his ability to move that the Eagles have the 280-pound Curry sprinting 50 yards downfield to try and cover kicks. He looks to be running pretty well too.

11:20 am - The defensive linemen run off to the side field as it's time for 7-on-7 drills (which is scrimmaging without linemen). This is why Kelly has warned us to not watch and judge the linemen until hitting starts at training camp. They spend much of practice working on grasping concepts and perfecting technique, but until you see them banging heads, it's hard to judge.

11:22 am - Curry and the linemen are working against upside-down garbage cans. On one play Curry takes on the yellow can. The next he encounters the fiery gray can. The yellow can seems more intimidating and into the drills. A fierce competitor no doubt ... for a garbage can. The defensive linemen are running at about 20 percent in this drill. It's definitely not intended to be run at full speed. It seems to be for mental reps.

11:26 am - The Eagles are really just working on learning plays in the nickel formation. They're moving around as defensive coordinator Bill Davis barks 'Ohio! Ohio!' and other commands.

11:28 am - They're into 11-on-11 team drills. Curry waits his turn with the second team.

11:30 am - Curry's on the field working alongside Antonio Dixon at the nose tackle spot and rookie Bennie Logan is the other defensive end. The offensive and defensive linemen work against each other with their hands, but their not hitting each other. The Eagles call a running play to the right side and Curry tracks it down and makes the would-be tackle for a short gain. Of course, there is no hitting so he runs right past running back Chris Polk as the whistle blows to simulate the end of the play.

11:32 am - Four reps and he's off the field.

11:35 am - Curry's back on the field for another four plays. It's hard to see what is going on with the interior lines. There's too many players on the field blocking the media's view. I can see the backsides of a bunch of players in obscure numbers who have no chance to make the team.

11:38 am - The Eagles are working on field goal blocks. Curry is on that team too. He's jumping with the rest of the block team. Looks like a 22-inch vertical to me. Not bad in a helmet.

11:41 am - While Davis has the DBs working on nickel blitzes the defensive linemen take a breather. This becomes a common trend for most of the last 45 minutes or so of practice.

11:47 am - Six minutes later the D-linemen are still standing around. It's hot, so Curry, with helmet in his hand, wipes his face and gets a drink. Boring. Back to work!

11:48 am - Finally the defensive linemen jog off to the side field and start working on their pass rushing skills against a bag. Curry dominates the bag. So does 340-pound Clifton Geathers. At 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds, Geathers is a huge man. He dwarfs Curry. It makes me realize that Curry is the smallest man in the first two groups of defensive linemen. By a wide margin, too. That may not bode well for him considering Chip believes big people beat up on little people.

11:57 am - They're back to working on team defense and nickel calls. They seem singularly intent on lining up correctly and knowing their responsibilities on the play. Curry's job appears to be raising his hand before the snap. It means something, but I have no idea what. Once again Davis is yelling 'Ohio, Ohio, blah, blah, something else, something else that I can't make it.'

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12:02 am - More 11-on-11. I see Curry blow past second-string left tackle Ed Wang and pressure Michael Vick. It's Wang that Curry seems to match up against most often in team drills.

12:05 pm - Curry again runs down the back on a running play. These no full contact drills really seem to play to his strengths.

12:10 pm - More teaching of the nickel defense. Yawn.

12:12 pm - Final few plays of practice. Curry doesn't get on the field as it's the first-team offense against the first-team defense. The first-team defensive line is Fletcher Cox, Isaac Sopoaga and Geathers. Right now Curry is Cox's backup. That doesn't bode well for playing time moving forward.

12:13 pm - Curry starts chirping to Cox. "Do out all day. Do out all day," or something of the sort after a sack.

12:17 pm - Practice ends. What did we learn? Defensive linemen don't do that much at practices without hitting. It's really hard to gauge where Curry stands at the moment, aside from that he's the smallest man in his group despite packing on the pounds this offseason. He does, however, look to be moving well despite packing on some weight.